


The Flash of Arms

by TerraCody



Series: The Night Before the Decisive Battle [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions/Golden Deer Joint Route, Headcanon, Love Confessions, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sexual Tension, Sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27109930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraCody/pseuds/TerraCody
Summary: Caspar is someone who knows exactly what he wants and works hard to get what he wants. Shamir is the same way.
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Shamir Nevrand
Series: The Night Before the Decisive Battle [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841431
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	The Flash of Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its characters are the property of Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo, and Nintendo. Ugh, so wonky internet and a head cold greatly interfered with my writing for the last week or so, but here I am again. Caspar/Shamir I see as an odd couple but their dynamic is fantastic. Even though they don’t technically have a history together it feels like they do. I absolutely love Shamir’s character development in their Support chain and they have a great paired ending together.
> 
> I also wanted to experiment with a different narrative style with this story, with jump-cuts between flashbacks and present day. So any block of text in full italics is a flashback, and block of texts without the italics is the present.
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

_29th of the Verdant Rain Moon, Imperial Year 1186_

The Faculty Dormitories were quiet. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around.

Caspar von Bergliez felt his heart pounding in his throat as he ascended the stairs behind her, mindful of the way his armor clanged with each step. He followed her down the short hallway, his eyes unwittingly wandering over her. He shook his head to try and clear it. _Is this happening? Is this really happening?_

”I-Is your horse doing okay?” He asked, awkwardly trying to fill the silence with idle talk.

”Aengus?” Came the reply. “He’s ready for tomorrow.” She kept walking and didn’t turn around.

They stopped in front of a door, and she finally turned around to face him. Shamir Nevrand’s stoic face was unmoving as usual, but her dark eyes were half-lidded, and...they almost looked luminous. “Are you sure about this?”

Caspar swallowed thickly and nodded. “I-I’m sure.”

Shamir pressed her back to the door. “I’m not letting you in if you’re not sure.”

Caspar met her gaze, and boldly took a step forward towards her. “I’m sure,” he said with more confidence. “I love you and I want this. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t.”

Shamir didn’t smile, nor did she say anything about his words. But she did reach behind her and open the door. She walked backwards into her room, and Caspar followed her inside. He took a moment to admire how much bigger her room was compared to his (and her bed was bigger than his) before closing the door behind him. Before Caspar could make the first move, Shamir lunged at him. He was slammed back into her door as her arms slid around his shoulders and her lips pressed against his.

* * *

_Night had fallen. Silence had settled over Garreg Mach, but not at the Training Grounds. Caspar was not a quiet combatant, something he was constantly criticized for. Now, as he swung his practice axe down upon the crushed and splintered training dummy before him, shirtless and without armor because his activity drenched him in sweat, he almost screamed his breathing._

_It had been an unexpectedly emotionally draining day for him. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, fresh from his “victory” at Gronder and still nursing injuries, came to the War Table the day prior with a level of clarity that Caspar hadn’t seen in years. Dimitri apologized to them, all of them, and made the declaration to abandon the advance on Enbarr and instead head home to Fhirdiad to liberate Faerghus’s capital. His proclamation brought a much-needed boost in morale for the Army._

_But Dimitri offered more than platitudes. After the War Table Dimitri summoned everyone and personally apologized to each person for his behavior towards them. He had particularly wanted to speak to each of the former Black Eagles with Professor Byleth, to apologize to them in private. Caspar had thought that this was a nice gesture because knew he wasn’t liked by the Kingdom Army. None of the former Black Eagles had been liked by the Kingdom Army, and had been treated with suspicion and contempt. Linhardt von Hevring had been particularly hurt by how badly he had been personally treated. Dorothea Arnault no longer sang. Ferdinand von Aegir made no efforts to contribute to the War Table and instead kept to himself. Bernadetta von Varley hid in her room, but that was no different than before. Only Petra Macneary was not treated with suspicion, most likely because of her status as a Princess of Brigid but also because despite the fact that she enrolled at Garreg Mach as a student of the Black Eagles, she was still undeniably a political hostage of the Adrestian Empire. And Caspar of course faced animosity, but he really had only noticed it when people stopped talking when he walked past, or when he couldn’t ever find a training partner to spar with._

_When Caspar was called in to see Dimitri and Byleth, he was surprised when Dimitri bowed deeply to him. It had taken Caspar completely off-guard, and he looked at Byleth, and a cold sting of fear filled him when he saw her somber expression. “I do not deserve it, but I beg your forgiveness for everything I have done to your family.”_

_Caspar swallowed hard, and looked at Byleth again. “I...” he raised his hands defensively as he looked back at Dimitri. “If this is about my uncle, I-I don’t hold a grudge. I’ve been in battles, sometimes things get out of hand.”_

_”I tortured your uncle, Caspar.” Dimitri’s shoulders were shaking slightly from his bowed position. “He begged for his life and I showed him no mercy. What I did was unforgivable.”_

_”I killed him,” Byleth said quietly. “And...” she held out something to him. “I...You need to see this, Caspar.”_

_”Huh?” He was already uncomfortable seeing Dimitri prostrate himself before him like this. He saw that she was holding a handkerchief. He took it from her, and stiffened when he saw the emblem embroidered on the handkerchief. “T-This—!” His head snapped up. “This handkerchief! This emblem is from my House! Where did this come from?!”_

_Byleth met his gaze...and her next words shook him to the core._

_”This handkerchief was found in a pocket of the waif who assassinated Lord Rodrigue.”_

* * *

The armor thudded loudly as it fell to the floor. They were still clothed, but Shamir felt the heat of Caspar’s body through the fabric. The motions of his mouth felt awkward and uncertain, and she wasn’t really surprised by his lack of experience. Caspar was always someone who was looking for a battle, not a bed partner. 

_Yet he wants a bed partner now._

She cupped his face in her hands as she kissed him hard, her heart pounding as hot pulses of pleasure hummed through her body with the strokes of their mouths. His hands wandered her body, rubbing and stroking her over her clothes. Her back, her sides, her shoulders; he couldn’t seem to stop touching her, and Shamir was surprised by the thrill she felt at being coveted in such a way by a lover. 

Then he hands wandered below her waist and cupped her backside, but then his hands jerked away and he broke the kiss. “I-I’m sorry.”

Shamir pressed her index finger to his bottom lip. “Why are you sorry?”

Caspar stared back at her, panting softly. His face was flushed and his eyes were glazed with arousal. She could feel his budding heat against her stomach. “I-I, ah...touched you down there.”

Shamir was surprised again by how moved she felt at his flustered behavior. She leaned in and gently nuzzled his face and he shivered against her. “Touching me is part of having sex. If I didn’t want you touch me, I would tell you so. If you’re acting inappropriately, I will tell you so.”

”I-I’m sorry,” Caspar responded again painfully. “I’m not very good at this...”

Shamir pressed her mouth against his again, gentle pressure. He moaned softly against her and she pulled back. “Touch me. Test my limits and I’ll test yours.”

”R-Right...” Caspar’s voice was barely above a whisper as they kissed again. There was still tension in his shoulders but his hands reached up to touch her again. Not to grab her backside again though, but instead to cup her breasts. Shamir felt a delightful jolt in her body from the touch. She broke the kiss again to meet his eyes. “Like that.”

His expression relaxed and he squeezed her breasts experimentally. Shamir responded by reaching down and cupping his groin through his pants. He jerked again, slamming back into the door with a hard groan. “How’s that?” She asked him.

Caspar shivered again, his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them again, they were bright and heated. “Like that.”

* * *

_Shamir heard the splinter of wood, and the loud battle cries from inside the Training Grounds. She recognized the battle cries as belonging to Caspar. She first turned to walk away, but hesitated. After a moment she turned back around and entered the Training Grounds._

_Caspar stood alone in the center of the Training Grounds, breathing loudly and raggedly. Targets and practice dummies were nothing but piles of splinters and wood around him. He was drenched in sweat and shirtless; his armor and his shirt were strewn across the ground. He was gripping a Steel Axe that was in horrible shape. The weapon looked ready to fall to pieces._

_”What are you doing?”_

_Caspar paused, and panting heavily he turned to face her. She saw the anguish in his eye and his face was flushed._ _Shamir approached him slowly, folding her arms over her chest as she continued to look at their surroundings while Caspar puffed for air. “...You appear to have a lot on your mind,” she said blandly._

_Caspar was silent for several long moments, his breathing slowly evening out as the silence stretched between them. Shamir was patient though as she waited for answer from him. He let out a shaky sigh and wiped at his forehead with the back of his hand. “Do you know why I left the Black Eagles and joined the Blue Lions?”_

_“What?” Shamir asked bluntly. She didn’t expect this question._

_”It’s because Edelgard scared me!” Caspar scrubbed at his face with the back of his free hand. “I left because the way Edelgard talked about my family made me feel nervous!”_

_”Nervous?” Shamir had echoed the word with her usual calm tone._

_”Yeah! Like, when I talked to Edelgard it sounded like she was grooming me to take over as the head of my family! But, my brother was the rightful heir you know?! He was born with a Crest and I wasn’t!” Caspar gestured with his free hand. “My brother was supposed to lead my family after my father! That’s how it was supposed to be, and I was completely okay with it! But Edelgard didn’t like my brother! She told me she didn’t like him and she made it clear that she thought that I would be better in his position! But like, if I became head of the family, where would that leave my brother?! What would happen to my brother if I took his place?!_

_“I-I just...” Caspar pressed the heel his hand against his face. “I just had this bad feeling that something bad was going to happen to my brother! Or my father even! I felt like Edelgard just wanted to push me into a position I didn’t want to be in! Do I look like I want to be a Lord?! Edelgard probably also knew that I didn’t like that stuff, that I didn’t like politics or want to be involved in politics, and she probably just wanted me in that position to ensure more power for herself!”_

_“...So to save your father and the brother, you left the Black Eagles and ultimately sided with their enemies,” Shamir said. She shook her head. “That was an awfully generous sacrifice to make on behalf of your family.”_

_“Well if I wasn’t there, then Edelgard couldn’t get rid of my father or brother for her own political gain!” Caspar shouted, his voice wheezing in his dry throat. “I thought I was doing the right thing to protect my family! B—But my family STILL DIED! My uncle was captured and tortured! A-And you know that waif?! That girl who killed Rodrigue?! I just found out today that girl was my aunt!” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the handkerchief. “Here! This was in her pocket! Do you see this emblem?! This is my family’s emblem! The girl who tried to kill Dimitri was part of my family! It...” he clenched the handkerchief in his fist. “That girl...”_

_”Was your aunt someone close to you?”_

_Caspar shook his head, but he couldn’t stop the tremors in his body. “I-I never even had a conversation with her. Her name was Fleche. The man—the general Dimitri tortured was my uncle, Randolph. T...They were brother and sister. My father’s half-siblings.”_

_”Ah. Now it makes sense.”_

_Her tone was still unchanging. Caspar knew he should have expected this, but her seeming lack of compassion caused anger to snap through him. “Is that all you have to say?!” He growled at her._

_”Why are you yelling at me?” Shamir asked him. “I had no hand in the killings of your aunt and uncle.”_

_Caspar stared at her for long moment of silence, still panting heavily. He shook his head and looked away. “You’re right. Sorry.”_

_“Do you regret leaving the Black Eagles?”_

_Caspar stared at the mess he had created in the Training Grounds for a long moment of silence. He swallowed thickly before he answered. “No.”_

_”No?”_

_He shook his head again with conviction. “Siding with Edelgard would probably not have saved either Randolph or Fleche. Heck, it probably wouldn’t have saved my father or brother. I-I would be fighting for my country but for wh—but for what purpose? Edelgard is acting like she’s liberating people from the Church, but what liberating has she actually done? She declared the Church her enemy, but then she destroyed the government of Faerghus and dismantled the Leicester Alliance! She’s scooping up territory in different countries and declaring it part of the Adrestian Empire! Innocent people, who never asked to be part of any war, have died in her quest for “liberation”! Had I stayed with the Black Eagles, I would’ve been compelled to participate in her—her conquest!” He sighed shakily. “But...But I can’t deny that it hurts, you know? It hurts.”_

* * *

“Mmm. Mmmm.”

Their kisses were sloppy, but their mouths couldn’t seem to move away from each other. Caspar breathed hard through his nose and cupped her face in his hands. He had taken off his shirt but still wore his pants and boots. Shamir was also still clothed but she had taken off her gloves. He felt the callouses on the tips of her fingers, and he had seen that her fingernails were chipped. But because she wore gloves most of the time her hands were otherwise undamaged and felt good on his body. One hand cupped his shoulder while the right hand was inside his pants, stroking his penis with hard jerks.

”Mmm! Hrmm!” Caspar broke the kiss and arched his head against the door. Hot vibrations of pleasure hummed through his body as she rubbed him harder and faster. He jerked his hips against her hands and bright patches filled his vision from the hot shock of pleasure that shook his body.

”Keep doing that,” Shamir commanded him in a low voice. “Thrust into my hand until you finish.”

Caspar gaped at her from her matter-of-fact command of spilling himself. His eyes crossed and he clung to her shoulders as she picked up the pace. He closed his eyes as he began moving his hips to match the motions of her hand. Her other hand reached down and yanked his trousers down, allowing his now free erection to press against her. “Don’t tell you haven’t done _this_ at least,” she said softly.

”I-I have,” Caspar whispered, resting his forehead on her shoulder. With his eyes closed and face hidden, he was more comfortable moving against her. “Just...not a lot.”

Shamir didn’t respond right away, but her free hand reached behind him to grip his backside. “Don’t stop,” she said. “Move like you want to move inside my body.”

Even though she said it with her usual stoic tone, the words were stoic and heat flooded his body. “Show me how you would make love to me,” she clarified, and arousal flooded Caspar’s mind. His pulse spiked at the thought of moving inside her body and he snapped his hips hard against her. _Oh Goddess, oh Goddess, this feels so good. Is this what it will feel like? Tight and hot and—_

”Oooh! Hrrrumph!” Caspar’s knees shook violently as sharp, hot, wonderful sensations flooded his body. He let out a guttural groan as he fell over his edge, spilling himself as he continued to thrust into Shamir’s hand. It felt good, almost to the point of pain as his body twitched against hers. “That’s it. That’s it,” she murmured into his ear, stroking the small of his back with her free hand. Her encouraging words and touches gave Caspar a sharp feeling of relief, and she continued to slide her hand over him until she had milked him dry.

Caspar moaned again as his body relaxed against hers, and her stroking stopped. He leaned up and kissed her mouth, feeling more confident in his gestures. “That was amazing,” he whispered against her mouth. “Thank you.”

”If you’re in awe just from a hand on your penis, then you don’t know what you’re in for,” Shamir said bluntly. She looked down at herself and Caspar also looked down. He ‘eeped’ when he saw his spent soaking her thigh. “I-I’m sorry!”

”Stop apologizing,” Shamir said bluntly, and reached for her own belt. Caspar blushed harder as she abruptly pulled her own pants off and kicked them across the floor. He felt a sudden hot spike shoot through his body at seeing her naked skin and he met her gaze. “Well?” She asked after a moment. “Aren’t you—”

Caspar grabbed her bodice with both hands and yanked it down. Her beautiful breasts spilled out and seeing the mounds made his mouth water. Before she could further react he bent his head down and began kissing and sucking on the skin. Her breasts were both soft and firm under his hands, and she quickly gasped and panted as he spun her around and pinned her to the door.

* * *

_”That’s war for you,” Shamir said softly. “Why don’t I help take your mind off of it?”_

_Caspar looked towards her. “Eh?”_

_Shamir grabbed his arm, and before Caspar could react he was spun around and swung head over feet and sprawling on his back on the ground. In the next instant she was straddling him, her forearm pressed against his throat. “You fell so easily? I expected better of a War Master.”_

_The shock quickly wore off, and despite his exhaustion the adrenaline rushed through his body quickly. Caspar heaved his body up, using his superior strength to flip Shamir up over his head, reversing their positions so that he was on top of her. He didn’t have time to gloat because she was moving too quickly. She grunted, and Caspar felt her legs wrap around his torso. He yelped as he found himself flying backwards again, lying on the ground as she locked his right arm in a tight hold. It stung and he snarled in frustration as he glared up at her. Her short hair was disheveled, and her pale complexion was now rosy from exertion. She was breathing heavily as she stared down at him with her stoic, narrow gaze._

_**Ow, ow, this hurts. But Goddess, she looks beautiful.** _

_”Do you give?” She asked softly, applying pressure to his right arm. His body felt hot, as though it was savoring the sensation of feeling her legs wrapped around him like this. But Caspar knew that if she bent his arm the wrong way then it would break, so he focused his mind and surged up again._

_Sharmir wasn’t giving in but neither was he. Despite her status as a Bow Knight she had proficient knowledge in grappling techniques, which impressed Caspar immensely. She was also a more seasoned warrior than he was. But he was still physical stronger than he was, and though he wasn’t as good at grappling as Raphael Kirsten or Balthus von Albrecht he still had enough skills to warrant his War Master class. It was several minutes of rolling around on the ground, slipping on and out of holds, before he finally had Shamir pinned beneath him again. He pressed his forearms against her elbows and pinned her thighs with his calves. She stopped struggling, and laid beneath him panting for breath again as he smiled triumphantly down at her. “Do you give?” He echoed her own words back to her._

_Shamir fell back against the ground, her eyes sliding closed. “...Well done. You beat me.”_

_Casapr couldn’t stop himself from laughing as he eased up off her arms. He felt the hum in his body again as he shifted to move off of her, but he ignored it as best as possible. He instead focused on how thrilled he felt at such a good sparring session. “Thanks for tha—”_

_Shamir suddenly reached out and pressed a hand over his bare left pectoral. Caspar looked down just in time to see her hand withdraw from him. He looked at her again, and started slightly when she took off her glove and then pressed her bare hand against his dirty and sweaty skin. Caspar’s heart began pounding hard when he felt the touch of her skin. He looked down at her hand. The fingers slid downwards against his skin, and he shivered involuntarily as goosebumps broke out over her skin. Her touch felt good...but after a moment he saw the dark, vertical scar that marred his skin, and he realized that she was tracing it with her fingers._

_**That...That’s the wound I got when I saved her life in battle...** _

_He looked at her again, and saw that she had sat up fully. Her eyes were still on his scar and he swallowed hard as he looked at her. He had dismissed his feelings for her as an infatuation, but he couldn’t deny the...feelings that he had felt for her all these years. He knew of her reputation before he came to the Academy, and when arrived during his semester there he was eager to spar with her. He hadn’t paid attention to the rumors about her beauty because he honestly never gave a lot of thought to outward attractiveness. When Caspar assessed someone, he looked at the person they were on the inside, and the skills they possessed. After all, what was the point of oogling over beauty if they had an ugly heart, or didn’t even know how to hold a sword?_

_Shamir, however...right from the beginning she was different to Caspar. He was drawn to her reputation. Then when he saw her for the first time he was drawn to her beauty. Then when he saw her in combat he was drawn to her skills. Then when he spoke to her he was drawn to her stoicism and reliability. Everything about her was undeniably appealing to Caspar, and though it shamed him greatly the pain and trauma his family put her through, she never held it against him personally. She was a dependable ally. Someone that he..._

_**...I know. I keep calling it an infatuation, but if I was merely infatuated with her, then—then would I have thrown away my life like that to save hers?** _

* * *

Ever since she first came to the Monastery, Shamir never once thought that she would find herself pressed against a door, staring up at the ceiling while she stood naked from the waist down and her breasts loose from her top. Feeling warm pulses in her body as a mouth pressed between her legs.

Caspar was kneeling before her. He had admitted his inexperience, and his caresses up to his point had been unsure but eager to please. He had asked her to show him how to make her feel good, and the way he had touched her _had_ felt good. Even though she herself had not taken a lover in years, she was thankful for the experience that she did have so that she could make him feel good and properly guide him to make her feel good.

”Mmm.” Caspar’s soft groan made her shiver from the vibrations of his mouth. She didn’t know if he did that as a test or if he was savoring her taste. “Good,” she said softly, panting quietly, and she arched her head when he moaned against her.

_I can always count on Caspar to be full of surprises._

Her breath hitched sharply when his tongue licked at her sensitive nub, and she looked down at him. “That,” she gasped, meeting his gaze. “Keep doing that.”

Caspar held her gaze for a moment before his eyes slid closed and his tongue pressed and rubbed over her, and Shamir’s hand ruffled his bangs as searing warm pleasure pulsated from the strokes. “Just like that...Haa...” she tilted her head back as she panted heavily. Her body was remembering how good sex felt, and it ached sharply from the reawakening pleasure after having been denied for so long. His mouth closed over the nub and she began rocking her hips to the motions of his mouth. Shamir clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, but she couldn’t stop the noises rumbling in her throat. 

His mouth and tongue sucked and rubbed at her quickly, and hot-pleasurable heat abruptly filled Shamir’s body. She pressed her lips together and let Caspar go to grip his shoulders. “Mmmm. Mmhmmm!” Her muffled scream rumbled in her throat as she climaxed, almost rising up onto the tips of her toes. Her body trembled and she finally opened her mouth to puff out a harsh sigh as she collapsed against the door, her knees weak. She panted heavily as Caspar slid back up her body, licking at her navel and pressing gentle kisses to her stomach. One of her hands relaxed and reached up to stroke his nape.

She had abstained from sex for years, and experiencing release like this for the first time in so long felt like a knot of tension had been unwound inside her body. Shamir gasped softly when she felt Caspar’s hands cupped her breasts, and she looked down again as his mouth moved to her breasts. His skin was hot and flushed, and she could tell by his demeanor that he was emboldened to have brought her to her peak like that on his first try. Now his caresses had confidence, and his mouth kiss and sucked her skin with obvious intention to push her to the peak once more. The gesture had taken her off-guard, and she found herself unable to restrain her voice. “Haa...Hmmm...” when he moved in to kiss her she pulled him in close, but she jerked slightly when she felt his erection press against her as though involuntarily.

”I’m sorry,” he panted, but Shamir sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. “How ready are you for this?”

Caspar flushed, and he pulled back slightly as he looked away. “You know I haven’t done this before.”

”That wasn’t my question. Are you ready to take me?”

Caspar met her gaze. “Yes.”

”Are you sure?”

”I’m sure. I love you and I want you. I—”

His breath choked as Shamir arched her hips against him. “Then...what are you waiting for?”

* * *

_Shamir stared at the scar, the permanent reminder of Caspar’s sacrifice for her. Staring at it was painful for her, and she felt a tightness in her chest that made her uncomfortable. She tried to shake it off though as she met his gaze. “You’re a good man, Caspar.”_

_”W...” his voice trailed off as his eyes went wide. He seemed to be at a loss for words._

_”You have made sacrifices for the sake of your family,” she told him. “And while the loss of family has been painful for you, you stand true to your convictions. Your uncle and aunt lost their lives in combat, as can be expected in war. And you are afraid of losing your brother and father, correct?”_

_”I-I’m actually absolutely terrified of facing my father in battle,” Caspar said painfully. “I don’t want him to die, but...”_

_”But you know that if you face him then he will try to kill you. Or you would have to kill him, thus negating your sacrifice for him.”_

_Caspar nodded. Shamir suddenly leaned close to him, their foreheads touching. “I will do you this favor. If I face your father on the battlefield, I will not kill him.”_

_Caspar gaped at her, stunned. “Y...You won’t—but didn’t my father—”_

_”He killed my comrades,” she confirmed. “But as I’ve told you before, I hold no grudges against him. Killing him won’t bring my people back, and it won’t bring my—never mind.” She shook her head at the familiar pang of pain. **Stop. It is done. You know that dwelling like that will not bring him back.** “But you want him to live, and you left the Black Eagles to spare his life. I do not hold onto grudges, and I owe you for this scar.” Her fingers caressed his skin again and her pulse jumped when he shivered. “I will repay you by sparing you the trauma of losing anymore family.”_

_Caspar looked at her, breath puffing out of his chest in short spurts. Their faces were so close that if either of them leaned in closer they would be kissing. Neither of them though moved closer...nor did they move away. Shamir sensed a sudden changed in the air, but she held onto her stoicism and didn’t falter a hair._

_”I-I want to thank you,” Caspar said, his tone somewhat desperate as he finally moved away from her and stood up. “You really helped me tonight. I-It’s been rough, but I...” he trailed off and shook his head. He rubbed at the back of his head. “I feel confident that I made the best life choices. A-And it hurts to lose family, but I’m not the only person here who has lost family.”_

_”You have the right to be upset about dead family members,” Shamir told him as she stood up. “Don’t diminish your own grief.”_

_Caspar swallowed thickly and nodded. “I get it. And...And I’m going to follow what you said.”_

_Shamir nodded. “Good.”_

_Without waiting for his reply, she turned on her heel and walked out of the Training Grounds. Caspar did not call after her. After she closed the doors behind her though, she pressed a hand over her own heart. It was pounding so hard that she felt faint._

**_What was that? I...responded to him..._ **

* * *

Their lips and tongues moved together, and Caspar could feel his heart pounding in his ears. Even after Shamir pleasured him, and he pleasured her, he still didn’t quite believe that this was happening. That his naked body was pressed against hers. Her legs wrapped around his waist His body ached to the point of bursting, and he couldn’t help but groan as he kissed her jawline.

_Oh Goddess. I never knew why people made such a big deal about sex. Now I can see why, and I haven’t even—_

“Nngh!” He groaned sharply as he felt Shamir grab him by the base. He panted and clung to her back as she guided his penis to press directly against her.

”Here,” she whispered into his ear. “This is where you need to be.”

Caspar felt embarrassed and hid his face from her again, but he shivered when he felt her mouth tug gently at his earlobe. “You told me to show you how to make me feel good, so that’s what I’m doing. Press your hips forward.”

Caspar closed his eyes, and he panted hard with an open mouth. His hand moved down and took over from hers and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He rubbed the tip against her, the friction giving him sparks of pleasure to his knees. He shuddered as he finally allowed himself to ease into her body. She was tight and hot, but the way her body gripped him felt incredible. “Don’t stop,” she breathed when he paused briefly. The desperation hidden in her stoic tone made his insides melt, and he suddenly grabbed her hips with both hands as he finished burying into her body.

_Oh Goddess, oh Goddess—_

The sensation of being surrounded by her was intense and more incredible than being surrounded by her hand. She was tight and hot, wet and welcoming. Caspar shuddered as he felt her thighs flew around his hips and one hand rubbed through his hair. “Uuh!” He groaned when she suddenly rocked her hips against him. Just a slight movement, but the roll of her hips caused his penis to slip ever so slightly out of her body and then slide right back in. The friction of that slightest movement nearly made him collapse and he grabbed her backside and almost slammed her into the door to maintain his balance.

”Caspar?” Shamir asked him breathlessly. He finally leaned back to look at her, and a slight of pulse of pleasure jolted him as he saw her expression. Face flushed, lips parted as she panted—her piercing gaze filled with arousal. He had never seen a more beautiful expression in his life. Her mouth formed just the slightest smile. “Show me what you’re made of.”

* * *

_It was nighttime by the time they made it back to Garreg Mach. As the group stopped in the center of the Marketplace, Caspar saw that his companions (the former Black Eagles) were beyond exhausted. Even Professor Byleth looked exhausted._

_He, however, was still brimming with energy. “That was AMAZING!” He shouted, pumping a fist. “Thirty-seven bandits ambushed us, and we took them ALL out!”_

_”Thirty-seven?!” Dorothea gasped incredulously, glancing at him from where she was sitting on the ground. “You **counted** how many there were?!”_

_”Caspar is mistaken,” Petra said softly, wiping at her forehead. “It was truly thirty-nine bandits who have attacked us.”_

_”Thirty-nine,” Linhardt said with a complete lack of enthusiasm as he sat on the ground. “No wonder I’m having trouble standing...”_

_”It was indeed thirty-nine bandits,” Ferdinand panted, taking a seat on a box near the Battalion trainer._

_”Come on, Linhardt!” Caspar said to his friend, slapping him on the back. “Have a little more enthusiasm! We should go on another—”_

_”N-No more missions, please!” Bernadetta complained, shaking her head. She paused and pressed a hand to her head. “Oh...now I’m dizzy...”_

_”I’ll help you back to your room,” Dorothea said, slowly standing up._

_Caspar threw his hands up as he realized that everyone was just going to keep complaining about the awesome mission they just had. “I gonna go see if I can get Pickled Rabbit Skewers from the Dining Hall! You hungry, Linhardt?”_

_”I can’t stop smelling blood,” Linhardt said quietly, confirming for Caspar that he was just going to keep complaining. “I couldn’t **possibly** think about eating now.”_

_”Eh, suit yourself.” Caspar took off running towards the Entrance Hall. “See ya, Professor!” He shouted to Professor Byleth as he ran past her. She paused in whatever she was saying to the Gatekeeper to shout after him. “Caspar, what?”_

_Caspar raced up the stairs, and immediately brightened when he saw the person climbing the stairs ahead of him. “Hey, Shamir!”_

_Shamir paused and turned to face him. Her brow arched as she took in his appearance. “Your armor is covered in mud and blood,” she said sagely. “You came back from your mission, I presume?”_

_”Yeah! Oh, it was incredible! We were ambushed by thirty-nine bandits! Thirty-nine! And they were fierce fighters! It was awesome! I think I took out twelve or thirteen of them—I dunno, I lost count!” He laughed loudly. “I was gonna go see if the Dining Hall had Pickled Rabbit Skewers. You like that dish, right?”_

_”It’s my favorite dish,” Shamir said bluntly._

_Hearing that made Caspar unbelievably happy. “It’s a date, then!”_

_”You are inviting me on a date, then?”_

_Caspar immediately blushed and felt incredibly embarrassed as he gaped at Shamir. She stared back at him with her usual blank expression. He stammered for a moment, unable to find the right words to say. **Oh—Uh oh. I did say the word ‘date’! Oh Goddess, I’m such an idiot!**_

_”Are you planning on eating while covered in bandit blood and dirt?” She suddenly asked him, gesturing to his armor._

_Caspar looked down at him, his mouth still opened and closing as he sputtered. “I—uh—ah—um—”_

_”It’s no big deal,” Shamir said, shrugging. “I’ve had meals covered in similar substances.” She started up the stairs, Caspar still gaping at her. She looked at him over her shoulder. “Are you coming?”_

**_”Don't worry; your wishes aren't so far from the truth.”_ **

_Caspar remembered her telling him that when he “guessed” her desire to be by his side. He ran after her, still not knowing what to say, but his heart swelled inside his chest and he couldn’t help but grin._

**_She wants to spend time with_ _me..._**

* * *

The door behind her rattled loudly with each movement, but Shamir didn’t care. Caspar’s comfort level with intimacy was higher than she had expected. Once he had found the right pace, he had begun unabashedly rutting against her, thrusting in and out of her body with hard movements. It was unexpected—but it felt incredible.

“Uhh...haa! Haa!” Shamir’s eyes were closed and her head was arched back, unable to hold back her voice as her body stretched deliciously and pulsed with each movement. His stamina was amazing, and though he was panting and groaning harshly and loudly his movements were unpausing. Her legs were locked around him and his hands gripped and squeezed her backside in time with his thrusts, pulling up on her to help her meet him in a perfect rhythm. Her body was hot, but she—she felt _alive_. It had been over a decade since she last took a lover to bed, but she was able to match Caspar’s pace easily and the hunger inside her body was powerful. She needed _more._

”Mmmmm,” Caspar groaned against her breasts. He sucked on her nipples hard and Shamir couldn’t stop the growling cry that emitted from her throat as she felt the familiar heat quickly filling her body. “That good?” Caspar gasped as he freed his mouth.

”Huhn!” Shamir opened her eyes and pressed shoulder blades against the door, using her upper body as leverage to frantically thrust against him. Her hands gripped his bare shoulders tightly. She let out a harsh gasp as she tried to form words in a calm voice. “T...That goes without sa—AH!” She suddenly screamed when she felt his thumb flick her nub. She convulsed as searing hot pleasure flooded her body. She heard him choke in pleasure as she squeezed him, seemingly not noticing the way she scratched his shoulders with her fingernails. Her body still felt hot and achy, and she forgot herself in the moment as she fell against him. “Harder,” she gasped, looking him in the eye. “Give it to me _harder_.”

Caspar didn’t flush with embarrassment, but she saw him smile as he slammed her against the door again.

* * *

_It was a...strange feeling, knowing that the Empire was going to be gone just a day away. The country that took everything from Shamir would cease to exist...and she was just **indifferent** about it. She just didn’t really care that the country that destroyed her homeland was going to be destroyed itself. _

_**Perhaps this is a showing of personal growth on my part. I’m not sad or angry. This is just another job to me.** Shamir raised her bow and arrow and aimed it at the target. **But I know that this will still be personal to other people.** _

_**”You, uh, you're thinking that I'm a reliable ally in battle. And you'd like to keep fighting by my side! And you think we're connected!”** _

_The unexpected thought made her falter, and upon releasing the arrow it missed the target completely and bounced off the wall. Shamir scoffed, and she hurried over to check on her arrow. The tip was chipped ever so slightly, but it was otherwise unbroken. She tucked the arrow into her quiver, and after a moment she set her Steel Bow beside the quiver. “That’s enough for today,” she murmured. She rubbed at her arms though as she stood, and she turned around to look across the empty Training Grounds. **That took me off-guard, but...but he’s been a distraction for quite awhile, hasn’t he?**_

_Ever since she found Caspar alone in the Training Grounds, letting out his rage and grief, the spunky younger man started to occupy her thoughts constantly. They were good battle partners, but if she only thought of him as a battle partner then she wouldn’t be bothered so much by how much she thought of him. She realized after she left Caspar alone that she had an...emotional reaction to him. It wasn’t the first emotional reaction to him that she had though. When he took the blow that nearly ended his life, she had definitely had an emotional reaction. Her heart almost felt like it stopped. Powerful, dark feelings filled her body in an all-too familiar way. Helplessness. Anguish. Grief. Fear._

_And it was familiar to her because the last time she felt the rush of all of these emotions at once was when she saw **him** die..._

**_I am responding to Caspar. I am responding to a former student, even though I was never a professor. I am feeling feelings that I had buried long ago. He has invoked the same feelings inside of me that..._ **

_Shamir shook her head and closed her eyes. **The way I am responding to him is both on an emotional and physical level. The fact that my being responds to him, wants him...I probably love him.**_

_”Hey, Shamir!”_

_Her eyes snapped open and she turned around. Caspar had entered the Training Grounds and ran towards her. She was impressed to see his armor so clean so soon. He was grinning so widely that she almost felt tempted to smile back. But she held her emotions under control and folded her arms over her chest. “You seem lively,” she said with her usual stoicism._

_”Of course I am!” Caspar laughed. He gestured to himself. “Dimitri just knighted me! You are looking at Sir Caspar von Bergliez! Knight of the Kingdom of Faerghus!”_

_”Congratulations,” Shamir responded without a change in tone. “That was nice of Dimitri to give you knighthood.”_

_Caspar waved a hand. “It was probably more to boost morale than anything else, but I think it’ll help me with this GREAT idea that I have!”_

_”You have an idea? You?”_

_”Of course!” Caspar laughed and tucked his hands behind his head. “After the war is over, I want to start my own mercenary company!”_

_”...Mercenary company?” Shamir asked, surprised._

_“Yeah, sure! I have no intention of becoming head of House Bergliez, no matter what happens to my father and brother tomorrow! Fighting is what I want to do, and after I killed those bandits yesterday I knew what the right path for my life to be was! If I’m a mercenary, then I can continue fighting and kill bandits and anyone who hurts the innocent!”_

_”That’s awfully noble of you.” Shamir rubbed at her forehead. “If you are starting a company though, then you don’t seem to want to do this alone, do you?”_

_”Well, that’s why I’m here!” He gestured to her then. “You’re a mercenary now, aren’t you? Join me, and we can become the best mercenaries in the world!”_

_Shamir stared at him for a long moment in stunned silence. She opened her mouth briefly before clicking it shut. Caspar waited for her response with surprising patience, his eager smile unwavering._

**_He wants to create a mercenary company with me? But why? Is it just because I have experience as a mercenary? He could ask Leonie or Professor Byleth for the same!_ **

_”You—You want to work with me professionally,” she said finally. She said it as a statement, not as a question._

_”Yep,” Caspar said, nodding._

_”Why?”_

_His confidence wavered in that moment, and to Shamir’s shock Caspar blushed. He coughed briefly and looked away, the blush on his cheeks darkening. She quickly read his body language and her heart began to pound. “You—”_

_”I might as well say it,” he said, interrupting her. He looked back at her. “I love you.”_

* * *

“Oh! Ooh, ooh!”

Caspar’s eyes wanted to slide closed, but he forced them open because he didn’t want to stop looking at her. His hands were on her waist and he was kneeling behind Shamir on the bed while she was stretched out before him on all fours. He had been unsure of this position—moving inside her from behind—but he felt a thrill at the sensation of her rolling hips back into him, seeing her white-knuckled fists gripping her bedsheets, their skin slapping together erotically as she arched her head back and groaned her pleasure. The headboard of her bed started smacking the wall in front of them with their movements but neither of them cared.

”Oh Goddess,” he groaned quietly for the umpteenth time. He was certain that his body was addicted to hers; he had climaxed so many times already, but just the simple thought of being enveloped by her heat again made him hard in an instant. Feeling the heavenly friction as he glided in and out of her body, and the way she squeezed him when he slid back inside—as though welcoming him and encouraging him to never leave—was intense but wonderful. He leaned down over her, pressing his chest against her back and kissing her nape as his hands slid up her body to cup her breasts. “I love you,” he sighed. “I love you...”

Shamir turned her head towards him, and he met her mouth in a brief kiss. When it broke, her words warmed his heart. 

“I love you too.”

Caspar felt a surge of power and love from hearing her vocalize her feelings like that. He knew deep down that she loved him, but receiving the confirmation was intensely sweet. He snapped his hips hard against her.

“AHH!” Shamir’s arms gave out and she collapsed face-first on the bed. “Don’t stop!” She rasped when he paused, reaching back to grab the back of his thigh with one hand while her other covered one of the hands squeezing her breasts. “Don’t stop,” she said more calmly when Caspar began to move again. “Do—nnnngh!” She pressed her forehead against the mattress and her breathing suddenly turned heavy. Caspar knew by this, and the way her muscles began to quickly clench around him, that she was close to the edge. He licked between her shoulder blades and sucked on the skin while his fingers began rhythmically rubbing one of her nipples. His other hand slipped back down her body and enclosed her nub between his index and middle finger. He held his hand still, fingers tight around her as the natural motions of their bodies pushed her against him.

”Hrrngh!” Shamir groaned through clenched teeth. She slammed back into his groin and moaned loudly as she met her release again. Her body squeezed him tightly, and her hand gripped his thigh as delicious sensations abruptly filled his body. “HAA!” Caspar arched his head back and called out loudly as he released himself inside her body. She shivered beneath him as she gasped for breath, her body moving with the motions of his twitches as aftershocks shook him to his core.

Caspar collapsed beside her in bed, lacking the energy to remain upright. His eyes were closed and he lay partially on his side and partially on his back as their bodies cooled and calmed in the afterglow. He turned towards her, hands reaching for him even while his eyes were closed, and Shamir rolled over to lay partially on top of him. She kissed him deeply, slowly, the exhaustion apparent in her gestures. Caspar rubbed his hands up and down her back and he pulled her close to him.

_I can’t believe she really loves me back...man, this is the best day of my life..._

* * *

_”I love you.”_

_Caspar didn’t know what to expect when the words came out of his mouth. He knew a rejection from her was a strong possibility, but he also wanted her to understand **why** he wanted to start a mercenary company with her. _

_But she didn’t visibly react. There was no change to her expression._

_”I-I’ve actually liked you for a long time,” he sputtered slightly, feeling his face grow hotter. “I h-had heard about you and was excited to meet you. Then I saw you in battle, got to know you as a person, and...” he shook his head. “I-I...I felt horrible that I had feelings for you when my family hurt you so much. But I—”_

_”I think that I’ve told you enough times that I don’t hold you responsible for what your father did,” Shamir interjected._

_”I-I know. But I still felt bad, and...but I couldn’t help my feelings, you know? And they kept growing, and I...Damn.” He shook his head again. “Hey, can you just reject me already? I’m really embarrassed here talking about my feelings like this.”_

_”’Reject’?”_

_”Yes, reject! Unless you feel the same for me, just reject me! Or—” his head snapped up and he looked at her with wide eyes. “...Wait. D...Are you not going to reject me?”_

_”I thought you could read my mind,” Shamir said instead of responding to his question. Caspar bristled at her deflection, but his emotions quickly cooled as an idea came to his head. **All right, Shamir. I can play this game.**_

_”Actually, yes,” Caspar said, puffing out his chest. “I CAN read your mind.”_

_”Really?” Shamir asked blandly._

_“Of course I can! Now, let me see...” he pressed a hand to his head while he hovered a hand towards her dramatically. After a moment he shouted, “AH! I got it! You love me back!”_

_He saw a twitch in her shoulders. That gave him confidence to keep going. “You love with all your heart You want to spend the rest of your life with me fighting against evildoers! You—”_

_He expected Shamir to hit him for his foolishness. He didn’t expect her to lunge at him, almost knocking him over as she slammed her mouth over his._

* * *

”Did you mean it?”

Shamir’s head was resting on Caspar’s chest, directly over his heart. His hand was idly playing with her hair. She lifted her head to look at him. “What?”

”When you said you loved me,” he said softly, holding her gaze. “Did you mean it?”

She felt an ache in her heart when she heard his uncertain tone. She wasn’t someone who could easily give out comfort, but she reached up and stroked his cheek. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”

Caspar let out a loud sigh of relief and hugged her to him. Shamir let him pull her on top of him, though she didn’t let his uncertainty go. “Did you mean it when you said it to me?”

”O-Of course I did!” Caspar immediately shouted. He pushed her shoulders back so that he was looking at her face. “Why else would I have said it if I didn’t mean it?!”

”People will usually say anything if it means to gain a bedfellow.”

Caspar made a face. “Do I look like Sylvain?!”

”No.” Shamir’s eyes wandered back down to the scar on his chest. She reached out and traced the scar again. Before she could stop herself, she leaned down and kissed the scar. Caspar’s grip on her shoulders changed, the fingers moving encouragingly against her skin. “I love you,” he said again, his voice low. “I’ve never been in love, but I know that I love you. I-I hope that I’m worthy of you.”

Shamir glanced up briefly and saw that he was blushing. _...Ah. He is wondering if he satisfied me._

”You should be proud of yourself,” she told her in low, reassuring voice. “Despite this being your first time, and not knowing what you were doing, you were an incredible and generous lover to me. I am grateful for your care.”

Caspar’s expression lit up, and he pulled her up for another kiss. But Shamir pulled back to look down at him. “And you? Was I enough for you?”

Caspar flushed again, but he gaze didn’t waver from hers. “That was the most incredible experience of my life.”

Shamir felt a surge of pride from the compliment. She found herself glancing down his body, and she paused at what she saw. “I...see you’re telling the truth.”

”W—Oh!” Caspar looked down and saw his erection resting on his lower stomach. He groaned in dismay and fell back against the pillow. “Awww! I’m exhausted, but my body can’t help but want more of you! It’s because you kissed and touched me like that!”

”Are you complaining?” Shamir asked him.

”I’m no—” Shamir cut him off with a searing kiss. Her body filled with heat once more and his hands quickly went to her breasts again. She broke the kiss again as she partially sat up and swung her leg across his hips to straddle him. “Is it still bad for me to touch you?” She asked him breathlessly.

Caspar shook his head, and gasped throatily as she guided him inside her again. “It’s good,” he conceded quietly. He squeezed her breasts in his hands. “Touch me all you want. I-I’ll touch you, too.”

Shamir hummed as she began to slowly ride him. 

* * *

_Shamir had surprised herself by suddenly kissing him. His lips felt rough against hers, but it didn’t surprise her. When she slipped her tongue into his mouth she tasted his masculine flavor, slight bitterness. It was intoxicating._

_Caspar however was too stunned to reciprocate her kiss, though his mouth yielded to her kiss. His hands remained at his sides though; he didn’t push her away but he didn’t pull her in. When she moved back away from him, his eyes were wide and his expression was shocked._

**_Well, I just kissed him without warning after he confessed his love for me. It’s to be expected._ **

_”W...” his eyes were hopeful but also filled with dread. Shamir knew that he was waiting for her rejection. Despite her kiss. “Why did you do that?” He finally asked her._

_”Why do you think?” Shamir asked him back._

_”I...” he looked away briefly before looking back at her. “I—”_

_Shamir leaned her forehead against his, letting her irritation show. “Caspar.”_

_”Y-Yeah?”_

_”Do I look like the type who just kisses people out of the blue?”_

_Caspar blushed harder, but he quickly shook his head. “N-No. That’s not like you, Shamir.”_

_”Caspar,” she said again, carefully changing the subject. “What do you really want from me?”_

_”I-I want to be a mercenary with you!” He reiterated. “I want to be with you! We could be great! Our bodies are—oh, Goddess!” Caspar hid his face in his hand. “Oh no, oh no! I just said that out loud!”_

_”’Our bodies’,” Shamir echoed with a deliberately slow tone. She felt him ease away from her but she just leaned in closer. “Do you want my body, Caspar?”_

_”Yes,” Caspar immediately answered, and his eyes went wide. “I-I mean, no! No!”_

_Shamir’s brow rose at his sputtering statements. His eyes were even wider now. “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”_

_”No I’m not!” Caspar answered a little too quickly._

_Shamir’s emotions softened, and her arms relaxed around him. “Am I your first love?”_

_”I...” Caspar closed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. “Yes...”_

_”And you have not had a lover? Or relationship?”_

_”...Right.” His face was so red that Shamir was certain he would faint in her arms._

_“So you want to be with me professionally, emotionally, intimately. Though you have not done mercenary work before, have never had a relationship, and have never taken a lover to your bed.” She shook her head. “You have quite the unusual proposition there, Caspar.”_

_Caspar forced his eyes open. “...Is that a yes?”_

_The laughter came to Shamir unexpectedly, but it ruptured from her throat like a cough. Caspar looked stunned at the sound, but she leaned in close to him again. “You seem intent on having my hands full if you lack the necessary experience.”_

_”Then teach me.”_

_Shamir blinked. “Pardon?”_

_”Teach me,” Caspar said firmly. “If you have the experience, then teach it to me.”_

_”Teach you.” Shamir shook her head before meeting his gaze again. It didn’t waver under her stare. “In what way?”_

_Caspar smiled. “In every way.”_

* * *

Caspar was startled awake by a loud scream. When he opened his eyes he saw that Shamir was already wide awake and sitting up in bed. But...otherwise not doing anything. A second scream from another voice caused Caspar to sit up fully. “We’re under attack!” He half-shouted. “We—”

Shamir grabbed his arm to hold him still. “Wait.”

”’Wait’?!” Caspar echoed incredulously. “Didn’t you hear those screams?!”

”Those were startled screams,” Shamir explained to him. “Not screams of pain or horror. We need to assess the situation before moving out.”

”But—”

”Shh.” Shamir pressed a hand over his mouth. Caspar went silent and waited and listened. Several voices suddenly flooded the hallway. He couldn’t decipher the words but he recognized the voices. _The Professor! A-And Dimitri?!_

Seteth and—Manuela?—Joined the voices in the hallway. Caspar looked at Shamir as she lowered her hand away from his mouth. “S...Should we go out there?”

”If they need us they’ll knock on my door,” she said. “If they don’t we should just go back to sleep. It’s not dawn yet so we’re not marching for a few hours. We need every moment that we have to relax before battle.”

”But—”

Shamir stopped him with a kiss. Caspar’s protests melted away immediately, and he felt his body clench with need. He slid his arms around her and tried to pull her close, but she resisted and broke the kiss. “Heel. You should save your strength.”

”’Heel’?” Caspar was offended by her command. “I’m not a dog!”

”It might be tempting to sleep with me again, but if we keep going then you won’t have any strength for the battle.” She traced his mouth with her finger, and Caspar thought he saw a glimmer of a smile on her face. “We can save it for later after we are victorious.”

Caspar huffed and flopped back onto the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to push the arousal from his mind. “You’re right...of course.”

”I’m usually right,” she agreed stoically.

The voices in the hallway faded away, and Caspar tried to dispel the disappointment he felt in his gut. From many things. “You were right about that too. They didn’t need us at all.”

”We’ll find out well enough what that commotion was about later. For now we should try to go back to sleep.”

”Easy for you to say,” Caspar grumbled childishly.

Shamir shifted, and when Caspar opened his eyes he saw her leaning over him. “Just remember my promise to you.”

”Right. The promise.” Caspar nodded. “We’re going to start a mercenary company together. And we’ll be the most successful mercenaries ever.”

Something flickered in Shamir’s expression, and she rewarded him with a full smile. “That is correct.”

**Author's Note:**

> I named Shamir’s horse after the Celtic god Aengus. Aengus was the son of The Dagda, one of the most important gods of Celtic mythology (see what I did there?).
> 
> I took some liberties with the revelations on Caspar’s family in this fanfic because I didn’t like how the end results of Randolph and Fleche’s deaths didn’t seem to have a lot of impact on a recruited Caspar in Azure Moon. Like, Caspar recognizes Randolph as his uncle in combat, but has nothing to say or have any reactions about Dimitri torturing him? I liked both Randolph and Fleche in the Crimson Flower route and wanted to do right by them here, which is why I did have Fleche’s identity be revealed as opposed to what happens in the game proper.


End file.
